


no way back

by MiniNephthys



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Child Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 12:54:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5128382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Papyrus joins the Royal Guard.  Undyne doubts herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	no way back

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this piece of fanart](http://tu-ie.tumblr.com/post/132353828063/this-was-originally-gonna-be-something-for) by tu-ie.

Papyrus, Undyne reflects, is probably on par with her in terms of brute strength. She’s had longer to work on combat techniques, and that’s why she’s the captain of the Royal Guard and everyone else is not, but in terms of power he’s nothing to sneeze at. He could catch up to her one day.

She reflects on this while lying in the snow, with a large pile of bones pinning her down. She would be able to throw them off easily if he hadn’t worn her out in the fight, but it had been a long, intense spar and she doesn’t exactly have the strength to get up under all the weight now.

Papyrus is staring down at her in bewilderment. He’s injured and shaking, but still standing. “Did... did I win?”

She takes a second to try to shove off the bones again. The most she can do is rattle them. “...Yeah, you beat me. Good job.”

Papyrus beams and clears the bones off of her. “So, does that mean I can join the Royal Guard now?”

Every part of Undyne wants to say ‘no’ as she picks herself up off the ground. Her concerns aren’t gone: in a real fight, he’d definitely get himself killed trying to befriend the enemy. She doesn’t want that to happen to him, or worse, for him to change to keep that from happening.

Maybe she could raise the goalposts: beat her another time, so they can know it wasn’t just luck. Beat her three times, five times, ten times. She could do that. He would be disappointed, but she’s the boss: it’s ultimately her decision.

That feels dishonest. The whole idea of training him without ever intending to let him join the Royal Guard feels deceptive. Undyne hates being anything less than upfront.

So she does what she never almost does, and goes against her gut instinct.

“Welcome to the Royal Guard.”

Papyrus whoops in sheer joy and hugs her tightly enough to hurt. “Thank you thank you thank you! I’ll be the best guard you’ve ever seen! I won’t let you down! You won’t regret this, I promise!”

Undyne wishes she could be as sure.

* * *

As a Royal Guard, Papyrus gets a shiny set of armor and a bright, gleaming spear. “You don’t have to actually use it if you like your bones better,” Undyne explains. “But it’s partly symbolic, so everyone gets one.”

Papyrus nods rapidly. “’The Royal Guard is ready to strike from any distance, anywhere in the kingdom’! I read the handbook. Three times.”

She’s not surprised. “How’s the armor fit?”

“It’s perfect!” He poses. It’s a little more intimidating than it used to be, now that he’s in full armor and carrying a visible weapon. “A little heavy, but I’ll get used to it! I don’t want to ever take it off again.”

She pulls a face. “You’d better take it off sometime, it’ll smell terrible if you don’t and the dogs you’ll be working under will notice it before you do. There’s washing instructions on the tag.”

“Yes’m!” Papyrus salutes.

She doesn’t see as much of him immediately after that. The dogs in Snowdin handle his official training, and she gets reports.

For the most part, they’re positive reports. Doggo says that that Papyrus is in almost constant motion, too excited about his new job to stand still even for a second. Greater Dog tells her that Papyrus always arrives early for training and never misses a single session. Dogamy and Dogaressa mention that he was able to defeat them both on his first try.

There’s just one question they all have for her, and she doesn’t have an answer.

‘Are you sure this is okay?’

* * *

Training goes smoothly, and gradually Undyne stops needing so many reports on how he’s doing. Papyrus is now a full-fledged member of the Royal Guard, with his own station (not held up with pasta). The concerns Undyne had about him joining settle into the back of her mind, only occasionally dragged to the surface.

The first news she hears about a human entering the underground brings those worries up full force. Papyrus’ station is where his sentry station used to be: a human coming through the Ruins would run into him first if he was there. He’s supposed to be there, and he’s never slacked off. Now she desperately hopes he decided to start skipping work for once in his life.

She’s on her way to Snowdin as fast as her legs can carry her when she passes by Sans and comes to a screeching halt.

“Where is your brother?!” She doesn’t bother to try to hide her panic. She couldn’t even if she wanted to.

Sans doesn’t look at her, and for one terrifying moment she doesn’t know what his answer is going to be. “He’s on his way here.”

She breathes out. Not dead. That would be the worst case scenario. “Thank god.”

Sans slips away. Undyne doesn’t try to stop him, though she does think it’s a little strange that he’s not glued to his brother’s side right now. She continues onwards.

She hears him before she sees him. “Undyyyyne!” Then he comes into view from around a corner, hands tucked behind his back. “There you are, I’ve been looking all over for you! I was so worried you might have gotten lost!”

“You were worried about m-” she starts, incredulous, then decides to move onto more important matters. “Did you run into the human?”

He nods once. He’s smiling.

“...And you’re sure you’re okay?”

He nods again.

“Papyrus... What’ve you got behind your back?”

Beaming as wide as he did when she told him he could join the Royal Guard, or when he first made a pot of spaghetti that she could stomach, Papyrus pulls out from behind his back - a shining red human soul.

For a long, long moment, Undyne is at a loss for words.

“...Undyne?” Papyrus asks, after she fails to say anything congratulatory. The grin drops from his face. “Did I do well? This is my job as a Royal Guard, to protect everyone, isn’t it?”

She swallows. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s your job now.”

“Aren’t you proud of me?” he asks.

Undyne can’t answer that one. Instead she holds out her hand, and he deposits the soul into it. “-I’ll take it from here. You just... go home and make your brother some dinner, okay? Take it easy.”

After he’s agreed to treat himself, and has headed back to Snowdin, Undyne is left staring at the soul she’s holding. She wants to blame the human for all of this: for making Papyrus kill a person.

But she knows she has no one to blame but herself.


End file.
